Introduction:

In April 2022, on the final day of a guided tour of Jordan, my wife and I looked down over the Jordan Valley from Mount Nebo. In the bible, the area was referred to as the land of Moab. The 800-metre hill, just a few kilometers east of the present Israeli border, was believed the place where a dying Moses was granted a view of ‘the promised land.’ 

We were told that on a clear day one can see Jerusalem from Mount Nebo, but on that afternoon it was too hazy to see beyond the West Bank. In the foreground was a rock-strewn shrubby landscape. Taking in the vista, it struck me that Yahweh–– along with being a jealous god–– was a mean one. Why else would a promised land for his chosen people be so harsh?  

From the start of the war in Gaza six months ago, I have often thought of that view from Mount Nebo. By the day, the news grows more disturbing. Still, it has been encouraging in the last weeks to see youth protesting the war. While slogans like ‘no pink-washing of colonial history’ are confusing, it cheers an old man to see a new generation of political activists. 

Admittedly, I have tended to a one-sided view of conflict in the Middle East––at least in terms of its underlying causes. Not uncommonly, I curse at the TV or laptop screen for what can only charitably be called a lack of balanced reporting. When especially fired up, I post comments in response to mainstream newspaper articles. 

The heart-rending tragedy of the last months has also prompted me to dig up and dust off some my earlier reflections on Israel-Palestine. Along with those pieces, I have written a few new essays based on earlier notes. Some of these bits may be as dated as yesterday news. Others, I hope, might still be relevant.

 I post them here with some reluctance. It may be unwise to be wading into politics about which feelings on “both sides” are so raw. To anyone of “the other side” who might come across these pages: please, take no offence.  I have no unshakable conviction that all my views will be on the right side of history. As a guy who came of age in the late 1960s, my hope is simply to add a small voice to the cause of peace and understanding…  

-2024, April

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